Without You (Book 2 of The Blue Star) OUAT

Nightime Talks

Chapter 14

*Wendy*

It was dark—pitch black. I could not see anything, not even my hand or the bars of the cage which held me captive. The tiny space in my prison forced my back to hunch over, leaving it screaming in pain. The only way I could relieve it was to lay on the cage's floor. My legs were weak from lack of exercise, and my stomach whined for food.

I had been in this cage for days, and trapped on Neverland for a couple years. Why did I come back for Baelfire? He never needed me. I was dead weight.

"Wendy!" a masculine voice hissed in the dark of night.

I came out of my thoughts, recognizing the voice. "Archer?" I whispered. "Where are you?" My hand stretched out to the bars of the cage, gripping the handles. "Archer—?"

Just then his hands rested on mine which were still on the bars. His warm touch sent a shiver down my spine. "Wendy, are you alright? I brought you some food if you'd like it."

"Thank you. You are very kind." I smiled at him even though he could not see my face and I could not see his. Even though we were hidden from each other by darkness, his tone of voice told me everything his expression would have. His voice was gentle like Nana's soft whimpers, calming as mother's words, yet deep and filled with authority as father's stern scoldings.

Archer's hands fell away from mine for a second until he touched me again, bringing my hand out from the cage. He placed a cold biscuit in my palm. Even though it was dry and old, I was thankful for his generosity. Only a few of the boys were this kind to me. All of the other Lost Boys wanted me for different purposes—purposes which I never dreamed anyone could think of doing to a girl my age.

Archer had been there for me ever since the day Baelfire and Solstice died. The pain still haunted my heart even now, years later. I had loved Baelfire so very much, yet Pan killed him. Even though Pan has no use of me to my knowledge, he still keeps me locked up like a caged animal. My prison had become my home.

"Wendy, please eat." Archer's soft words stirred me from my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking." I said shyly as I began to bring the biscuit to my chapped lips. The food tasted bland and disgusting, but it was food.

"What were you thinking about?" Archer asked with genuine curiosity.

I kept from answering for a long moment. I did not want to hurt Archer by reminding him of the death of our friends. I do not like seeing, or hearing, Archer unhappy. Yet, I have never seen him completely happy before; all the gratitude goes to Peter Pan.

"Wendy?" He speaks again, pulling me from my ever wandering mind.

"It's nothing." I give a smile, but then realizing he cannot see it.

Even in the darling of the dead of night, I knew he did not believe me. Archer was smart, smarter than most of the Lost Boys. Pan knew this too, but Archer was not trustworthy in the monster's eyes. He would rather choose Ivan to become third in command, yet Pan was smart too. He knew Ivan was much like a person called Cale. Apparently he died before I arrived. Archer said Cale was not right in the head, which would explain why Ivan had always scared me; they are both "not right in the head." As Archer said.

I heard Archer sigh, "look, Wendy. I know I'll never be Baelfire but—"

"Why are you comparing yourself to him?" I cut of his sentence; something my father would have scolded me for since it was not proper.

There was a long pause until he finally spoke; "because he was everything you ever wanted. Why else would you have come back here? Why else would you risk your own life for him? You loved him, didn't you."

I heard sadness in his rough voice. My heart broke at the thought of Archer thinking that. I cared for him. I very much liked him. He was different in someway. "Archer, d-do you care about me?"

"Of course I do. You're my friend—"

"No, do you care about me?" I desperately wanted to hear his response. I had to know what he thought.

"I—" before he could finish, he was cut off by a sudden scream.